


To live is to learn

by Uzuis_fourth_wive



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Haruno Sakura, BAMF Uchiha Sasuke, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Childhood Trauma, Haruno Sakura-centric, Mild Blood, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Samurai, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Team Dynamics, samurai!sakura
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:42:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29847918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uzuis_fourth_wive/pseuds/Uzuis_fourth_wive
Summary: What if Sakura was yet another traumatized child of konoha. What if her dreams and ambitions were altered because of a single event in her life. This time around Sakura is determined to become strong enough to protect the weak like she used to be . She was going to be the heroine in someone else's story.
Relationships: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Hatake Kakashi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

Back when she was a child , before enrolling in the academy sakura was an insecure civilian girl. Her best friend who stood up for her was ino yamanaka , a beautiful blonde girl and next in line to be clan head. Sakura was loved by her parents and while struggling with bullies had a very nice childhood in comparison to other children. But the shinobi world was a cruel place to live in and it made sure that sakura learn that at the age of 5. She had stayed out a little later than usual playing ninja with ino . She swore over and over again that she didn't mean to— she didn't—. It was over by the time she had returned 

No matter how many times she apologized and blamed herself she knew she was helpless 

Her parents were laying in pools of their own blood. Murdered 

For what?

Cash 

Just some random thief that was swiftly caught not long after

But that didn't help her at all

She wanted revenge. She wanted to murder the man herself and make him regret his actions

But he was a nobody , without family. A war orphan from the previous ninja war . And then she realized that she'd never be satisfied again. And now she was an orphan herself.

She enrolled in the academy as soon as possible and she overworked herself daily. She had made it a personal goal immediately to become the strongest ninja , so she would be able to protect anyone that needed help. While all the girls were swooning over sasuke and had been already way ahead because of their clans, she studied hard. At first she was discouraged cause everyone was effortlessly better at everything it seems. But her sensei had told her that she was the best in chakra control followed only by ino ,whom she had lost connection with after her parents. She was the best in the leaf sticking to the forehead exercise. So she started sticking more and more leaves to herself on a daily basis as a challenge to herself . She often sat on a tree branch hidden from sight , with multiple leaves stuck all over her arms and face.

Her taijutsu was bad , like bad bad. She was dead last , having no battle instincts , talent or regural help like ninja clan kids. She was discouraged to say the least. How was she supposed to improve like this? 

She was feeling down that afternoon ,after seeing how much of a headstart the others had. She was sitting alone on a bench . The warm breeze comforting her as she stared at the horizon. Her sensei from the academy appeared out of nowhere and sat down next to her. " Hello " she offered slightly confused . "Hello, I didn't mean to interrupt but I saw you you sitting all alone. I thought I could keep you company" Sakura felt comforted by his presence . " What's your goal Sakura"

"I really want to become a successful shinobi. I want to be powerful enough to protect people from harm "and somehow her sensei read all of her unspoken emotions. "You feel left behind , don't you kid?" He said with the most kind and empathetic voice he could muster. She couldn't help her eyes getting watery , she looked at her feet to distract herself. " Everyone is from a clan it seems and they all have been getting trained since forever ago. And they all have better form , better reserves and know clan jutsus and I don't know how to catch up. I feel hopeless" she spoke honestly for the first time to someone since their death. A warm hand was placed on her shoulder and it squeezed tightly. " It's okay , you are just getting started right? You have multiple years in the academy ahead of you"

"That's right" she said softly

"It's okay if they are ahead of you, what matters is what you do afterwards. When I first got started , I was just like you. I had no prior knowledge and everyone was way better than me. But I still managed to become the best one around with time. Do you want to know my secret ?" Sakura was hooked in his story "What is it? What is it?" She asked bubbling with excitement. " It's a lot of practice and repetition. There is a difference between knowing and learning. You have to practice again and again till the movement is so natural and simple that there is no thought behind it . It has to become instinctual and flawless , especially the basics" she smiled with encouragement . " Ohhhh so if I practice the katas like this I will improve" 

" Precisely , it's a recipe for success. Wether thats one hundred or one thousand repetitions it depends on you, but practice makes perfection" he said while making some funny expressions , she couldn't help but giggle. " Thank you so much sensei!"

"Don't mention it. If I see actual results in the near future I might teach you some extra material"

"WOULD YOU REALLY DO THAT?"

"Yes I promise" he smiled extending a finger

"Then I better start training cause it's a deal" she said hooking her pinky around his.

And so a bond formed and Sakura's love for learning was gonna improve greatly after this.

When she first begun applying her sensei's advice it was a hot mess. She was using one of the academy training areas that no one ever bothered to use. And she realized just how bad it really was. She had her book open on the first kata's page and she was trying to copy the movements perfectly . Apparently just trying to slowly do the movements felt unnatural and forced. It took a few tries until she finally started to get the hand of it and then she repeated it about ten times in a row to memorize the moves. She was out of breath and her ribs hurt. So she did it again after a short break , this time she only made it to six before she dropped . She did that till she was drenched in sweat , freezing cold and shaking. She packed up and headed home feeling disappointed in herself , her stamina and form were below average. 

The next day she was sore all over but it was oddly satisfying . Taijutsu practice that day at school was a nightmare because of it but it was fine by her. She was excited for classes to end to practice again everything they had been taught

By the end of the week she had lost count of the reps. But she was finally starting to get the moves to look really smooth and more instinctive. She took a deep breath , closed her eyes and slowly but perfectly connected the movements. Going through them one by one felt incredible and this was only the first week. She decided to rest by meditating and doing the leaf exercise . The inner peace she felt was unparalleled. So that's why people say they enjoy training , it's the satisfaction at the end.

"Daikoku sensei ? Is there any other chakra control exercise you know?" She asked after class one day. "Aren't you the best in class Haruno-kun? And also I haven't seen your progress yet" He asked confused at the sudden question

"Well I've been doing the leaf exercise everyday, alongside taijutsu and it doesn't challenge me anymore. I want something harder" 

"Well normally this is taught to genin but I guess it wouldn't do harm to show you. Follow me" he said and didn't leave room for any reaction besides following him. They walked up to some trees in the training ground and stopped. "Alright , this works in a similar fashion to the leaf exercise but this time you stick your feet to the tree. What you do is channel you chakra to the bottom of your feet and have the steady flow stick you to it. Also you have to use the right amount otherwise it won't be enough to hold you or you'll break the tree. I'll show you and then you can ask me whatever you want" he formed a tiger seal and started walking parallel to the ground. Awesome! I wanna do that too! She thought

"Can I try it too?"

"Sure , I'll catch you if you fall" 

Okay she said to herself. Form a tiger seal, focus focus , feel the steady flow and make sure it's the right amount and take small steps. She put one foot to the tree trying to feel the necessary amount. Do this to the other foot too and steady. One step , two steps , three steps , she was getting the hang of it while struggling ever so slightly. The chakra part of the exercise was easier than the strain she felt on her untrained abs. Her sensei was shocked , to think a first year academy student was this talented in chakra control. She struggled but managed to sit on a tree branch. " Daikoku sensei !!! I did it you see!" 

"You know you're pretty gifted in control. If you master tree walking by the end of the week I'll teach you a harder exercise"

"NO WAY ! REALLY?" Her eyes were sparkling 

"Yes it's a deal" This was beyond insane.

After a week they met up after class again and she confidently showed him her tree walking. "Excellent job Haruno-kun , there is only one more chakra control exercise that exist but it's way more advanced than the tree exercise let alone the leaf one. It's called water walking and it's easier to perform on a lake than a river or the sea due the changing currents. Alright let's start"

And so , after about a month of struggling she had finally figured out how to do it. Sensei had strictly prohibited doing it alone and especially on the river. He looked so terrifying that she didn't dare test him. 

In the next few months she perfected all the katas and did them constantly. If she was having a study break she'd simply close her eyes and do the movements unconsciously like a simple stretch. If she was waiting for the water to boil she'd do the same thing again. At some point someone older tried to trip her and she automatically performed one of the defensive forms successful locking his arm in place ready to break and sitting on top of him. 

She was unaware of the fact that her sensei was at the end of the hallway and had seen the whole thing. He was proud if anything. In his few years as a teacher he thought that he wouldn't play favourites and yet here he was. Rooting for the intelligent civilian orphan .


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is smaller than the previous one but I hope it's still enjoyable. So to anyone who ends up clicking on this fic and reading these notes , I hope you like this story and where it's heading .

It wasn't too long after when Sakura started seeing noticeable changes. Her standard training session had become a breeze by now. Her stamina and form were better than she ever could have imagined. It was exactly as sensei had described it , it felt natural and automatic to do the basics by now.  
When she started consistently winning during sparring sessions she felt satisfied but she was too afraid to fall behind again. So she didn't slack off and she studied hard every day. If she didn't graduate at the top of the class when the time came , she'd be angry at herself. Her work ethic was really admirable and something she was proud of.

While she wasn't obsessed with Sasuke, she couldn't deny that she admired him. His taijutsu was different than the academy forms and his movements were gracious. He was smart and talented and cut above the rest in general. A true prodigy of the famous uchiha clan. Despite this, he did have the one of the worst grades in cooperation but that was understandable , considering his background. She stopped her train of thought , she wouldn't let herself be distracted by a stupid crush. She had promised as much to herself.

But despite everything ,she did feel lonely and depressed every once in a while. Sometimes she missed having a friend to talk to and mostly she missed her parents. Having no one to lean on meant she had to do everything by herself. " I'm as strong as steel and I won't break!" She said every time those thoughts resurfaced. Once I'm placed into a team , she thought, I'll probably get closer to my teammates. She found comfort in that though. As sad as it would seem to an outsider.

She visited her parents graves one of those days. The sun was slowly setting in the horizon and there was a light warm breeze comforting her. "Hey mom , hey dad " she exhaled slowly  
"I know I haven't visited you both recently but I've been keeping myself busy you see. I am working really hard mom , just like you always did. And dad , I beat up a few boys during taijutsu. I am defending myself like you said I should. And I'm really trying ok ! It's just so hard not having you around" the tears she was holding back had finally won , rolling down her cheeks. She was crying unaware of the fact that a certain silver haired jounin was watching from afar. " I hope you're proud of me cause I'm giving it everything I've got. I promise I will become someone that people can rely on . So you can rest easy in the afterlife ok ? I'm sorry I'm rambling again" she quieted down afterwards and started to clean up the grave and place the flowers she had brought on top. " I will visit you again" she whispered , the sound so small it was barely audible to her ears.

When they were taught some actual ninjutsu for the first time , it came as no surprise that some kids were familiar with them. Still, when Sakura perfectly performed a clone jutsu on her first try , it did spark the curiosity of a few students. Even those few stares made her feel the need to hide . "Sakura since you already managed one , could you try to create more clones?" Damn you Daikoku sensei ! He definitely did this on purpose. She made her way to the front of the class and closed her eyes to focus. Mould the chakra like before and double the quantity. Two clones now stood beside her. "That's it?"  
"Yes?" What was he trying to do...  
"Try making five clones . Go on" WHAT! He can't be serious? You've got this Sakura , shannaro! It's the same thing , with five times the same amount of chakra. Close your eyes  
Breath in  
And out  
She heard clapping , at first from her teacher and then from the rest of the class. "Great job Sakura" "that was so cool congrats" were some of the comments the students made. She carefully looked at her perfect five clones , trying to stay focused so they wouldn't get dispelled.  
"That was a good demonstration Sakura. You can go back to your seat". Yeah , Mondays are truly as bad as they say.

During the next month they were taught the substitution jutsu as well , which seemed very important. So she made sure she worked on both of the jutsu's alongside everything else. If these were the only ones they were gonna learn in class, she had to master them. She couldn't fall back now that she was getting better.

It came as no surprise when one day she stayed after class.  
"Daikoku sensei can you please teach me how to make a change in chakra nature"  
"Sakura this would be favouritism and beyond academy level "  
" Yeah but sasuke already knows how and ino , shikamaru , kiba and shino have learned advanced ninjutsu. Please teach me anything besides the transformation and substitution jutsu "  
"No Sakura I won't" her eyes betrayed how hurt she was but her face remained pretty neutral. She was already improving as a shinobi.  
"Can — can you at least help me improve those in some sort of way. Or give me some advice , recommend a book. Anything at all please" he sighed defeated  
" Well I guess I could do that since it's just enhancing what we've already learned in class. Ah it can't be helped"  
"Thank you so much" 

"So , since you have incredible control in theory this should be possible . However, this is something that usually only Chunin can do and of course most if not all jounin. So if you can't learn it or struggle a lot don't be discouraged"  
"HAI"  
"What I'm gonna attempt to teach you , well more like guide you actually , is minimising a jutsu down to few or no hand seals"  
"Something like that is possible? It didn't mention it in our book about chakra and the pathway system" she trailed off lost in thought  
"Well it didn't mention it cause academy students nor genin go through that much trouble usually. Still, with your control it seems possible."  
"I see , I will do my best"  
"The main reason why this is a great skill to have is because the opponent doesn't have time to predict or react. Also you gain precious time , save chakra and if there are no seals at all , your opponent may not notice it at all"  
"Well now that you explain it like that it does sounds more exciting"  
" Alright , what you have to do is mould your chakra exactly as you would do with hand seals without using them. When I was learning this myself I constantly did the jutsu to help me memorize the feeling of my chakra. This helped me imitate it with control achieving the same result. Try to create a clone with one less seal"  
"Which one am I supposed to not use?"  
"Well it wouldn't be any fun if I told you"  
She pouted and crossed her arms  
"You're a meanie you know" he just laughed at her "well you asked me for anything at all. I'm not obliged to do this you know" he said with faked disinterest " fine , fine I'm sorry sensei. Thank you for your extra help"  
"Now that sounds better, it's like music to my ears" she stuck her tongue out at that making him smile. "well I've gotta go and so should you"  
"Yeah I know. See you next week" she waved . Damn that kid , he'd have to think of something new for the next time she would ask for extra help. And yes , he was certain that this wouldn't occupy her till graduation.

This exercise was a challenge unlike the previous ones. There wasn't a methodology she could follow. It was improvisation at it's finest. And Sakura realized just how insecure she felt when having no guidelines or clear course of action. She realised that this time it wasn't about patience like it was so far. It was about creativity and stepping outside of your comfort zone. It was about taking initiative and being confident enough to make it work. This was a challenge both physically and mentally. So she struggled and struggled. For the first month she didn't make any progress at all , besides draining her chakra. Her reserves had grown but they were still average at best. But she didn't let herself be discouraged and tried again and again. Sensei had warned her that it would be a challenge and she would not disappoint. 

When she successfully used one less seal s few days later, her scream of joy scared all of the birds away and a few people around the area. She would buy herself some shiratama anmitsu to celebrate. This was incredible no matter how small it seemed. She patted herself on the bicep and ended her daily training, happier than ever. Feeling proud she made her way to her favourite sweets shop.


End file.
